O'Brien refuses to let team become distracted by ongoing Johnson saga

T.J. Yates (13) took part in minicamp Tuesday morning but was out of a job by the end of the day.

T.J. Yates (13) took part in minicamp Tuesday morning but was out of a job by the end of the day.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

Image 2 of 2

This is a 2013 photo of Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans NFL football team. This image reflects the Houston Texans active roster as of Thursday, June 20, 2013 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)

This is a 2013 photo of Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans NFL football team. This image reflects the Houston Texans active roster as of Thursday, June 20, 2013 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)

Photo: Uncredited, FRE

O'Brien handles Johnson situation with deft touch

1 / 2

Back to Gallery

Andre Johnson didn't come to work Tuesday.

So for the first time this offseason, he was supposed to punch the clock and didn't. Now the Texans have an official holdout.

Johnson's job is to show up, play hard and hopefully help the Texans win, and he has done that more often than any other player in franchise history. A no-show on Tuesday for the start of a three-day minicamp didn't change that.

The first-year coach has yet to say a bad thing about Johnson. He hasn't questioned his commitment to winning or his ability to help the team win.

O'Brien, who wants to control the message from the Texans to the world, hasn't dodged questions about the franchise's all-time leading receiver. In fact, he has answered more queries than needed, almost certainly to prevent misinterpretation of his silence.

Media have a bad habit of translating non-answers into underlying anger. That you haven't seen or heard the simple-minded phrase "O'Brien's silence speaks volumes" is an indicator he has said enough to keep the media in check.

When asked if he were concerned about Johnson's having difficulty learning a new offense due to the time he has missed, O'Brien answered with a definitive no.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for him … he's a bright guy, a very bright guy, and a guy that's done a lot in this league, so I think he'd be able to figure it out," O'Brien said.

That Johnson's teammates hardly seemed bothered he has yet to join them in the hot sun should tell you O'Brien has done a fantastic job working the locker room.

Focusing on Johnson's absence would have taken away from what O'Brien is trying to accomplish in the organization. Lashing out at Johnson would have been childish and could have cost O'Brien respect on the team and around the league.

Angering or insulting Johnson wouldn't help the Texans win games. And if you haven't heard O'Brien say it yet, you will hear him say it a thousand times: Every decision he makes is about what he thinks will help the Texans win football games.

Not taking it personally

The better your quarterback - especially if his name is Tom Brady - the worse your receivers can be. The weaker your quarterback - especially if his name is Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was named the Texans' starter Tuesday - the better your receivers must be.

"This is about so much more than me in terms of all the different things we're trying to do. All the great players that we have on our side of the ball make my job a lot easier in terms of getting us in the right play or protection and watching our playmakers make plays," Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick will be a better quarterback and the Texans a better team with Johnson. They both will be worse off without him.

Like all NFL coaches, O'Brien will face a number of challenges in the coming years.

He has the makings of a good head coach. More importantly, he works for Bob McNair, who has been known to stand in an F-pick-6 tornado-like head coaching failure and describe it as a light breeze.

Situations like Johnson's shouldn't be that complicated, but teams bungle them all the time. Usually, it is because the coach takes the player's action personally.

But this is the business of the NFL.

Fans tend to side with owners in such disputes, because billionaire owners have played the business game so well some fans think the players owe them something. They don't.

The bigger picture

While the nearly $70,000 in fines Johnson will be assessed for missing three days of light workouts might seem like a lot to you, you probably aren't making $10 million this year.

If you want to get riled up over money, how about the $21.65 million the Texans are supposed to pay Johnson for the 2015 and '16 seasons? You know, the amount they almost certainly are going to walk away from paying after this season.

Presumably, Johnson would love to receive a "get out of Texans jail free" card with the team's releasing him, but that isn't likely.

The Texans could trade him. Teams are interested, but the best offer won't come until training camps begin, and it might not be all that enticing.

For now, do note that O'Brien isn't planning on fielding a team without Johnson, and he isn't worried about winning a PR battle either.

He is trying to build a winning football team and foster a championship atmosphere in an organization that more often than not has seen itself as a loser.

O'Brien has approached this with a winning attitude. Because that's what winners do.

Listen to "The Rush" with Jerome Solomon and Dave Tepper weekdays from noon-2 p.m. on 97.5 FM.